USAID said volunteers from SSF, which supports humanitarian relief and stabilization efforts in post-conflict environments, are on the ground in Jalalabad helping to collect, share and disseminate local data.

Afghans voted Thursday to elect a president for only the second time in history with President Hamid Karzai bidding for another five years in office.

Officials said it would be some days before they could determine how many of the 17 million registered voters had cast their ballots, but Interior Minister Hanif Atmar said the government was "satisfied" with turnout levels.

Some independent observers feared turnout was low, however, especially in the south where the Taliban insurgency is at its bloodiest despite a US and NATO campaign to pacify the lawless nation.